A new study finds there is no empirical evidence to validate claims about the use of RFID technology in the prison environment, according to Homeland Security Today.

“Tracking Inmates and Locating Staff with Active Radio-Frequency Identification,” prepared by the Rand Corporation and the National Institute of Justice, reviews a case study of an actual RFID installation at the Central Detention Facility operated by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.

The study noted that missing from the RFID installation were “written RFID policies and operating procedures, addressing such topics as when personnel are required to wear an RFID unit, procedures for using RFID to control access privileges to specific areas throughout the facility, directions for inmates wearing RFID devices, and how to report problems with the RFID units.”

Figuring the true costs of an RFID installation also pose a further challenge, according to the report.